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THE SUBURB OF ADAMSDOWN

INCORPORATING NEWTOWN

Medieval Farmland

In mediaeval times, Adamsdown lay just outside the east walls of Cardiff. The lords of Glamorgan allowed the gatekeeper of Cardiff Castle to use the land. It is thought that the area in 'the downs' (extensive gently rising and falling plains) may take its name from Adam Kyngot, a porter at the castle in 1331.  During the early 1800's there were only two buildings that dominated the majority of the area - Adamsdown Farm and Adamsdown House.

19th Century Developments

In 1832 a new prison was opened in Adamsdown and in 1848, the Marquis of Bute provided two acres of land in Adamsdown for use as a public cemetery.  The cholera outbreak in Cardiff meant that the cemetery was overcrowded within a year. In the 1870's Adamsdown House was demolished to make way for Adamsdown Square, and in 1884 the South Wales and Monmouthshire Infirmary (now the closed down Cardiff Royal Infirmary) was opened. 

In 1923 the hospital became the Cardiff Royal Infirmary and continued to provide an excellent inner-city service until it's closure in 1999, which was met with wide-spread protest.  The cemetery became a park in 1948, and many of the headstones were preserved and re-erected against the inside of the park walls.

Newtown

The first part of Adamsdown to be developed was Newtown, where many of the early Irish immigrants settled and the area soon gained the nickname 'Little Ireland'.  By 1855 streets were being built on the land previously owned by nearby farmers. The only streets to survive the demolition of Newtown in the 1960's, were Adam Street and Tyndall Street.

Adamsdown is known for the batches of streets named after metals and precious stones (Gold, Copper, Topaz, Diamond), and names taken from astronomy, such as Star, Planet, Constellation and Eclipse. The borders of Adamsdown are easily defined by the railway (Splott to the South of the line) and Newport Road (Roath to the North of the road).

Vanishing History

There used to be a Cattle Market and Slaughterhouse just off Constellation Street (where the large green area next to the railway line is now) which was closed and demolished in the 1970's. The Great Eastern Hotel in Metal Street used to be one of the original farmhouses, possibly Upper Splott Farm.  It was the oldest building in Adamsdown, but this did not save it from demolition in late 2009.

There are many churches in Adamsdown, but the most strikingly designed is St. Germans Church in Star Street, which was built in 1884.  The Art Department of UWIC (University of Wales Institute Cardiff) and the four star Macdonald Holland House Hotel stand on the site which used to belong to the first secondary school in Cardiff. The school was based in Howard Gardens but was destroyed in the 2nd World War.

Urban Renewal

Adamsdown is slowly but surely improving after years of neglect as developments in the City Centre begin to influence the area.

In 2008 a neighbourhood regeneration scheme took place, which reshaped some of the streets off Adamsdown Square which providing more car parking, and better security.  The Cemetery Park was redeveloped with the installation of a Multi Use Games Area which is proving to be very popular.

The main shopping and commercial areas in Adamsdown are Clifton Street and Broadway - but both are suffering as a result of the recession.  In 2009, Clifton Street forever lost some of it's most popular and long serving shops including Woolworths, and the Cobwood Brothers hardware store. 

The Police Station also closed and to make matters worse, a one-way traffic scheme was introduced to the street, much to the annoyance of traders.  Since the scheme was completed more traders have closed down. On some days, Clifton Street is more like a ghost town, rather than the busy and bustling shopping centre it once was.

In recent times, a number of public houses have been closed down, with the Moira Hotel being demolished in 2004, the Tredegar closing in 2005 and the Locomotive in 2006.

Although some of these pubs were considered to be a blight in the community, others will be sorely missed.  'The Vulcan' on Adam Street is one of the lucky few that have been able to escape the bulldozers.

Page Updated: 1st August 2010